When one doors closes, another one opens
by Lightness Moon
Summary: Draco Malfoy has no idea how to help his mute son Scorpius, who shows no sign of having magic or using it at least any time soon. The answer comes in the form of Aria Potter, but since when did Potter know sign language and why did she leave healing. But Draco will do anything to get his son speaking even if it means putting up with Potter. Fem Harry/ Draco fanfic
1. Prologue

**_Disclaimer:_** ** _I do not own Harry Potter._**

* * *

 ** _Prologue_**

She is beautiful. His wife. She completes his world.

Light pours in through the window illuminating her, making her look so radiant, as she stands by the cooker, transfixed, completely absorbed in her own little world. He loves everything about her, including how much she can completely annoy him. But that is a part of who she is. He would be at a loss without her. He wants to creep up behind her, pull her into his arms as she cooks, he does none of that. He knows she hates it, that it reminds her of a time she felt trapped. He has no words for the bastard that ruined her life, though he has serval for what he would like to do to him. But he reminds himself, he is lucky to have her around at all.

His son spots him, beaming - he never thought he would see the day, that his son would be smiling so care-free like. But then his wife - she had been the reason, the cause to his smiling son. They had healed each other, he had long ago come to realise that. His son waves him over excitedly. He glances back towards his wife, her back is still facing them. It is meant to be her birthday, he should have been up earlier and left her to have the lay in - _for once_.

"It's the small things - and making those moments - those things matter."

How many times had she told him that ... he had lost count. But she was right, sometimes it was about appreciating those tiny little moments, the ones that you could visualize and add up in your head, because every other moment - not that it was a waste of time, but those moments, unlike the things you loved about a person, just did not add up in the same way.

He walked across the length of the kitchen floor that separated them, he placed a hand on her shoulder, her head spun around, her startling bright eyes met his own, a soft smile greets him. He captures her chin with his hand, his thumb tracing a thin white scar on the side of her cheek. A scar she won't let be healed to fade away because she wanted to prove she was stronger than the person who gave it to her. He thinks she is nuts of course, he says nothing of the sort, but his wife is stubborn, and he had long ago learned she had a deadly aim and versatile knowledge of hexes to hand.

"It's your birthday," he said, "Go sit down."

Eyebrows arch upwards, he knows that look well - she disliked being thrown out of her own kitchen. She does join his son - _their_ son, she did, after all, marry him and does love his son like he was her own.

"So what were you making for breakfast?" He asked.

 _Stupid question,_ he thinks to himself as both his wife and son smile at him, and raise a close hand, primary thumb, making upward flicking motions in front of their bodies. He groans, apparently his wife and child think that it is hilarious as they both smile knowingly, his son going as far as laughing at him. He was not very good at doing pancakes - but his standard skills would never compare to that of his wife's.

"Maybe mum should do it." His son said. "Her pancakes are amazing!"

How could he deny his seven-year-old anything when he looked at him with pleading eyes. Years ago, he never thought he would hear his son speak. But as he said his wife had changed all that. How lucky they had both been, that she had answered the owl, that had started it all.


	2. What have you got to lose?

Draco Malfoy pained to admit it, but he needed help and lots of it.

For once he had no idea where to start. He was beginning to run out of options. If he admitted it he had long ago run out of options. But he was Draco Malfoy, thus he did not want to admit that he had failed his son long ago. Not his son Scorpius, who looked so much like him and certainly not his wife, the mother of his child who unfairly been taken from the world. Wrong place, wrong time, or more-like married to the wrong person. Aurors got there in time to save his son and the home the three of them had lived in was completely destroyed by accidental magic when Draco had tried to return with Scorpius. Scorpius had shown no signs of magical abilities since and his son had not uttered a single word; that was three years ago now.

So here he was, waiting in an office at St Mungo's to find out just what was wrong with his six-year-old son, who was impatiently swinging his legs in a kicking motion. Draco bit down on the inside of his cheek, he would not - would not - snap at his son.

"Stop it, Scorpius," Draco muttered with as much energy he can muster up that avoids him from shouting at his son.

His son, of course, pays no attention to him. Sometimes Draco swears he does it on purpose.

"Scorpius!" Draco said warningly.

The swinging motion of his son's legs continue because it is what his son does best; getting on his last nerve.

Draco tugged on his son's shoulder to look at him, "Enough!" he shouted gesturing to his son's kicking feet. Grey eyes looked at him, the kicking stopped the moment Draco had touched his son - great, now his son feared him. Draco Malfoy was on his way to winning worst father of the year award, soon to be worst father ever award.

"Just stop, OK, wait patiently," Draco said to his son, much more calmly. There was no reply, Scorpius didn't even as much nod his acknowledgment. His son just turned back to the desk in front of them and begun to stare at it. The office door opened, Healer Marcus Haith entered the room with two of his assistants.

"Sorry for the delay, I was just going over the results of the tests we run." Healer Haith said as he walked to his desk and sat down. He looked Draco straight in the eye. "I'm afraid to say, we cannot help you Mr Malfoy."

Draco glared at the offending man, wasn't it a Healers job to help him with whatever was wrong with his son. "Why ever not."

"Simply, because there is nothing wrong with your son." Healer Haith said. "Myself and my team doubled checked, your son is very healthy -"

"He doesn't speak," Draco snapped, "He does not respond, and he hasn't had a case of accidental magic for three fucking years! Something has got to be wrong with him!"

Healer Haith, gave a sigh and looked Draco square in the eye, and said in a serious manner, "We, this department cannot help you Mr Malfoy, whatever caused your son, to not respond verbally is not down to a magical illness nor is he incapable of doing so. We ran tests, there is nothing wrong, which means Scorpius is the only one stopping himself and as long as he does that we cannot help you."

"Waste of bloody time!" Draco sneered, he hastily takes Scorpius's hand, tugging it so his son stands, Draco does the same, glares at all people in the room, and storms as fast as his son can manage to keep up with him out of the room.

Draco was in a fuming mood as he walked down the corridor, other patients and Healers swiftly moving out of his way - clearly realising that he was not to be messed with. This had been it, his last hope - he had failed.

"Mr Malfoy!"

Draco turned prepared to shout back, a young girl, one of the assistants that had been in Haith's room was hastily making her way towards them, it was the determined look upon her face that made Draco stop in his tracks and stop him from retaliating.

"Yes," Draco said as she neared them.

"I'm Junior Healer Courtney Paice."

"And?" Draco said unhelpfully.

"Right, well Haith's a - unhelpful so and so, he doesn't think - his not -"

"Your point?"

"I might have a solution that could benefit your son, Haith overruled me because I'm still a Junior Healer."

"Might have?" Draco said, "Might have is not good enough. Good day, Paice."

Draco turned on his heel, no sooner as he had done so Paice said, "What have you got to lose?"


	3. Sounds too good to be true

"Well, Paice," Draco found himself saying as he reached for his cup of tea. He couldn't remember seeing a play area in the hospitals' cafeteria before, "You have my attention."

It wasn't a lie as soon as Draco heard the words, _"'what have you got to lose?'"_ , Paice had his attention. Scorpius seemed content enough, sitting in the corner of the little play area, crayons and paper to hand.

"Well," Paice begun, she looked very much like she was wondering how to start. "As I said Haith's just - unhelpful - but I believe that there is a way to help your son, Haith just doesn't think much of other people's achievements."

Draco reframed from rolling his eyes, this woman was trying to help him, he should at least hear the woman out.

"So how are you going to help my son?"

Paice blinked at him, looking perplexed, "I wasn't talking about myself Mr Malfoy, rather my old mentor."

"What makes you think that he could help my son?"

Paice eyed Draco, she seemed bemused for a few seconds, until Paice begun to laugh lightly.

Draco eyed her critically. Paice quit her laughing and cleared her throat.

"Sorry, Mr Malfoy, I should have said, my old mentor, is actually a woman."

"And she'll help me?"

Paice pulled a pained face. "She is no longer a healer for St Mungo's. She does something different now, and it is that I believe will help your son. Because if anyone can help your son, it is her."

"You make her sound very good," Draco said.

"She's not good Mr Malfoy," Paice said smiling brightly, "She's the best."

This person was beginning to sound too good to be true.

"So what exactly does she do now, your old mentor?"

Instead of answering Paice pulled from her robes a piece of small rectangular shaped parchment. "Owl; book an appointment and see for yourself. I have to go back now Mr Malfoy, I wish you luck."

Draco grabbed Paice's wrist. "Why did you help me?"

Paice smiled, "I learned a lot from my old mentor - she has a compassion like no one else I have known, she believed that if a person could be helped, even if it meant by different methods, that they should be helped."

Definitely, sounded too good to be true. Draco dropped his hand. "Thank you, for the help."

"Just doing my job, tell Aria, Courtney says hello," Paice said. "Goodbye, Mr Malfoy."

Draco was hardly paying attention to his surroundings as Paice walked back to the wards. Had she really just said Aria? Paice couldn't be talking about - surely not. He picked up the small piece of parchment.

 _Aria Potter Proudly Presents:_

 _Soaring Phoenix School of sign language._

An emblem of a Phoenix rising up into the sky was in the corner of the parchment.

 _Potter._ It just had to be Potter. Draco had not even known Potter had gone into healing. But if she was as good as Paice claimed she was then why had she retired? Had changed her job to set up a school of _sign language -_ what in Merlin's name was sign language?

He knew it sounded too good to be true because it pretty much was.

 _Does your child or yourself have difficulty communicating?_

 _S_ _uffer from hearing loss or mutism?_

 _Soaring Phoenix school of sign language could be the answer,_

 _co_ _me take a look and see, for appointments,_

 _o_ _wl for the attention of Miss A Potter._

Was Potter really an answer, could she help where Haith could not? Draco glanced up his six-year-old son, was now leaning with his elbows on a children's table, his head resting in his hands, bleak look on his face.

 _'"Because if anyone can help your son, it is her."'_

It seemed the choice was made for him. If it helped his son, Draco would put up with Potter. Paice had said Potter was the best, and Malfoy's deserved nothing but the best. It begged the question Draco had in a way asked Paice earlier, would Potter help him?


	4. Mrs Dursley

_Dear Mr Malfoy  
_ _Soaring Phoenix School will of course honour your request,  
_ _Mrs Dursley, will meet you first thing Monday morning at nine,  
_ _if this time is an inconvenience to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.  
_ _As for your request to keep your visit concealed, this will not be an issue,  
_ _no one at the school talks to the press but myself. And even though your son  
_ _is not a member of a school, we take pride in not divulging any of our visitors or  
_ _students information. This to us is a breach of trust. Please Appariate to the school gates.  
_ _We look forward to your visit, if you have any questions  
_ _please do not hesitate to contact us._

 _Kind Regards  
_ _Miss A Potter_

 _Headmistress of Soaring Phoenix School of Sign Language._

The small white building, that Draco Apparited to looked much like it was built for office purposes, with the all clear windows. Two-storey high. Draco thought the school would have been larger than that considering the amount of space that came attached to it. Though the grounds were filled with playground and other pieces of equipment Draco remembered seeing in a school book, though could not recall the name of them. He must have been the first to arrive, that or the students were already in class, Draco was unsure of which.

He made his way up the path, Draco had to commend Potter for something, a lot of time and effort must have gone into building the place, this school of hers. The enchantments behind hiding a building like this. Draco still hardly believed it, and he hoped as he had once hoped that Potter was the answer. A reception desk greeted him as he walked through the entrance doors. The building was welcoming, warm and bright due to the amount of light the windows admitted.

 _"Draco!"_

The voice was familiar, very familiar. Draco froze upon the spot, blinking, though the voice was familiar it sounded softer from the last time he had heard it. Draco closed his eyes, took a breath, opened his eyes again then turned around. His eyes could barely believe what he was seeing, his friend looked so well, almost glowing, he supposed that they had a right too, considering the baby bump that graced their form. A hesitate smile upon her face, but she looked just like the last time he had seen her.

"Pansy," Draco acknowledge her in return, he cleared his throat. "I have a meeting with Mrs Dursley."

"You're looking at her." Pansy said, her head turned downward for a second, before she met his gaze. "Come with me, stand on my right side as we tour."

Pansy gave no explanation for her request, but Draco done so. Pansy took him all over the school, Draco was amazed, three of the rooms were filled with arts and crafts, there was a large room filled with ovens and hobs. Several classrooms, most of them brightly decorated, posters filled the walls.

"So how comes you're working for Potter," Draco said finally, "Only the last time I know you had any interaction with her, you were about to hand her over-"

"Don't," Pansy said simply, her face had grimace up. "Just don't." Her dark eyes met his own. "Come with me."

...

"It's been too long Draco." Pansy said as she placed a cup of tea in front of him. They were clearly in what was the staff room. She sat down opposite him, her face screwed up in concentration.

"Just tell me what happened."

Pansy closed her eyes for a moment, let out a sigh, "My parents disinherited me, almost seven years ago."

Draco reached out to her, "Why didn't you reach out."

"I couldn't," Pansy said, "I was so ashamed - especially of myself."

"But why?"

"After the war - people hadn't forgot that I tried to hand over Aria - despite my selfish reasons - it was just a normal day in Diagon Alley, and I was attacked. They took the hearing from my left ear. My parents saw no use in me, I could find no work. I was cut off and had no money." Pansy teared up, Draco had never seen her cry, didn't think that he would ever see the day. "I found myself in a Muggle town - I didn't know what else to do. I always thought that Muggles were beneath me. Then I met my husband Dudley, we got to talking, his history was similar to mine - disinherited from his family. We clicked. Dudley said he knew someone who could help me, communicate, maybe even help me get a job. That's how I ended up here."

Draco felt like he had missed some information. Pansy obviously caught on for she elaborated; "Aria is his cousin."

"Potter taught you this - sign language."

Pansy nodded. "She's amazing - an annoying Gryffindor still, but truly amazing. She's given a new lease of life, to those that before would have never been able to even have a wand - sign language is a muggle method of communication - the wizarding world, our world has so much to catch up on. She's hoping to change all of that, this school is just the starting point."

"Ever the hero." Draco muttered.

"You could say that," Pansy replied, "Theo works here too. Security."

Draco was surprised by that, Potter hired Slytherin's, "So tell me, how did Potter get into this?"

"You're one of my oldest friends Draco," Pansy said, "But I will not betray Aria for you. Theo won't either. Now would you like to see a class in action? Everyone here signs, but I'll translate any questions you have."

"I only have one question, for now," Draco said, "Why did Potter not see me herself."

"She thought, given your history with each other, that this would be better off for you. Aria will of course meet with you, find out what support is needed."

Draco nodded, Potter had a brain after all, "Classroom then."


	5. Potter

Hands moving so quickly, Draco had never seen anything like it. Part of him was curious, how did each person know what they others were saying? Even the children who passed them by were so amative, about it, hands flying away, eyes sparkling, smiles broad as daylight. Just like any other child. What he wouldn't give for Scorpius to be like any child of his age.

"I want to go ahead." Draco found himself saying completely out of the blue, as himself and Pansy walked down the corridor. "What are the next steps?"

Pansy did not seem to surprised by his words, not if the small smirk she gave was anything to go by. It made him wonder if other people had the same tour and done the same thing. Pansy inclined her head indicating back towards the reception area and her desk.

As soon as they both reached, Draco found himself staring towards a door behind Pansy's desk.

"It's hers."

 _Potter_ , Potter was behind that door. Draco was unsure why he had been so drawn to the door, when before he had barely given it a glance. And before he had a chance to make any objections the door had been opened and Pansy was gesturing him inside.

Upon entry Draco found himself frozen to the spot for completely different reasons, the first thing he felt was the soft wave of soothing powerful magic. Her dark hair was down, in long wavy locks. Robes of a midnight-blue. Potter's head was facing downward, staring at a piece of parchment.

"Take a seat."

Draco found himself unable to comply with the simple request. From the moment Potter had looked up, Draco lost all ability to move. Potter was completely different - confident, Draco could tell that much. It was like staring at someone you knew but didn't know at the same time. Potter tilted her head, merely waiting for Draco to comply with her request. Slowly Draco stepped forward, and sat in the seat opposite hers.

"How - how did this all come about?" Draco asked. It was the question he had been wanting the answer to.

"I was a Healer before this, did you know that?" Draco nodded, Potter continued. "Did you know that forty-five thousand children live in our country. That means four children are born deaf every day. That's without adding those who become deaf or mute via magical incidents. So imagine my surprise as a Healer to realise the magical world doesn't deal with it. No cure. No schooling. Nothing. For a world that is so advanced, it didn't seem right. Now this school exists, gives a chance to those who would have never been able to before - just because parents were ashamed. This school is about so much more than giving those who need it a chance to get OWL's and NEWT's. It gives a chance to make friends, find themselves and give them a way of understanding and communicating. Not shutting them away from the world they were born into."

Draco nodded. "I want my son to be like the children I saw here today."

"You said in your letter, that your son doesn't talk or register you, doesn't even try to communicate back - not even with a shake of his head or nod?"

"Nothing," Draco confirmed. "No magical outbursts, no accidental magic since he was three. Not since he made our home collapse."

"Any reason for that?" Potter asked. "You mention it, so it could be important."

"It was after - my wife - Scorpius was with her at the time, they found a way into our home. She was killed."

"Trauma," Potter said simply, "that certainly could be the answer. Traumatic experiences on a child as young as he was at the time, yes that would shed a bit of light on his behaviour. Was it explained to him - what had happened?"

"He was three Potter," Draco snapped. "What was I meant to tell him."

"The truth," Potter replied quietly, "As much as you could explain to him at least, children have an amazing way of expecting a situation if explained to them. They are much smarter then you believe."

"What would you know!"

"More than you. I have experience, I speak from experience." Potter retorted harshly.

"Forgive me I wasn't - I didn't mean to insult -"

Potter held up her hand, "I would suggest you both come to the lessons. If your son is going to learn sign, it would be best if you did too, communication between you is key, and may lead him on the road to recovery. I won't deny that this might not work, but there is every chance that it could."

Draco inclined his head. "I'm out of other options, physically, magically - there is nothing wrong with my son."

"Emotionally," Potter said, "that's a completely different thing all together. I'll inform Sarah you'll be in her class, she is not deaf herself, but fluent in sign, she'll be able to answer any questions you have during that time. Pansy can take you the room after you filled in the paperwork so you know where to go."

"Potter." Draco said as he stood up. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Potter said, "That can wait until your son is communicating with you."


	6. Pancakes

It had been a month since Draco had dragged himself and his son Scorpius to Potters school, and slowly Draco was beginning to understand a few bits of sign language; granted he had a long way to go, but he knew how to sign both his own name and that of his sons and several other words that he thought would be useful if his son ever did pick it up, though so far there had been no indication of that. His son showed the same disinterest, glancing around the school room rather than join in learning any of the signs and his son never joined in any of the room's activities, his son chose not to play with the other children.

"You know what," Sarah said, determination and a sparkle of understanding held within her eyes, when Scorpius showed no interest of joining the other children at playtime, yet again.

All things considering, Draco liked this woman, Scorpius room teacher, he also envied how she could switch from speaking and signing so quickly - he wondered if she even had to think about it.

"I think it's time we call in the big guns."

Draco said nothing about the odd sentence Sarah just mentioned because he had no idea what she meant by it. Though it concerned him, he wondered what she meant by it, big guns? What big guns? Draco watched the Patronus leave the room and he turned to his son, who was blankly staring at the desk in front of him. A powerful soothing wave of magic and Draco's breath caught in his throat, he knew who it was that had entered the classroom for it was the same wave of magic he had already been across just a month ago. She even got his sons attention.

Potter smiled as she crouched down to his sons level, her eyes seeking only his sons, it was like she could see and knew everything like she was able to see inside into Scorpius's soul.

 _"Hello, Scorpius."_ Potter had chosen to sign, she said nothing, just kept her focus upon his son. " _I'm Aria."_

Potter waited for a few seconds, _"I need some help, will you help me?"_

It had taken Draco a few minutes to understand what she had just signed to his son, he only caught the word help, to begin with.

 _"I'm making Pancakes."_

Draco didn't know what Potter had signed this time he looked past Potter to where Sarah was standing, and she mouthed the word pancakes to him. Draco wasn't sure if Scorpius had been paying enough attention when they had gone over signing some foods. Scorpius, however, held out his hand and nodded, very slowly and not by much. Draco blinked shocked. Potter took his son's hand like he had done nothing out of the ordinary and stood up, she nodded to the door. Draco got to his own feet and followed them out of the classroom to another one that he had seen on his tour which was full of ovens.

Potter got a plastic mixing bowl, a wooden spoon, and some ingredients which Draco knew were the ones to make pancakes.

 _"Will you mix for me?"_ Potter asked his son, signing to him once more.

Draco had thought all was at a loss, that he would never communicate, he stared disbelievingly as his son very slowly and very hesitantly raise a closed hand primary thumb making upward flicking motion in front of his body.

Draco thought Potter had the most radiant smile when she wanted to, for she was practically beaming at his son.

 _"Yes, that's right, pancakes."_


End file.
